Songfic prompts
by Supercidergirl
Summary: An Agent SmithxTrinity fic that started out originally as a series of one shots inspired by random songs on my IPod, now a long term fic.
1. What do you mean?

Songfic prompts

Some short Smith/Trinity fics inspired by a random shuffle on my playlist.

Warning – Some of these may not make sense in the Matrix universe or seem very AU/Out of character/just plain silly! So if you're a diehard 'know-every-detail-about-the-Matrix' type of fan then apologies it may not be your cup of tea! J

What do you mean? – Justin Bieber

 **'What do you mean?'**

The question took trinity by surprise, effectively waking her from her daydream. Turning her head sideways she regarded the man…well program walking next to her, his customary shades hiding his eyes and his posture almost too rigid. He still walked with an air of authority and looked intimidating when he wanted to.

 _Flashback-_

Ever since the Matrix suffered that cataclysmic glitch last year the rebels found they were able to move around more freely without fear of the agents attacking, in fact they realised that Smith and the other agents left them alone now as if the rebels were no longer considered a threat!

Since then Trinity had decided to begin researching and studying the Agents more closely in case the glitch was ever corrected, it would be useful to know more about them, how they moved, fought, operated etc

This was why she now found herself strolling through the city streets with the 'Leader' of the Agents.

It had been an adrenaline fuelled moment the day Trinity first approached Smith and the agents on her own, she was wary in case the glitch had been fixed and he would attack her the moment she got within a few feet of him. Luckily for her, Smith had not attacked and (through Trinity's perseverance) agreed to Trinity asking him and the other agents questions. Trinity was surprised to find that the Agents were just as curious about humans as she was with them. She often found herself spending hours talking with Smith about absolutely anything and everything, he would even on occasion let her ride in the car with them whilst they were working. An extremely fragile unspoken truce had formed between the rebels and the agents, all thanks to Trinity.

End of flashback-

Walking along the street, Trinity thought more on Smith's innocent question; they had been talking about human love and relationships when Trinity had mentioned about how sometimes people hide their real feelings, which had prompted Smith to ask…

 **'What do you mean?'** The question seemed almost strange, his voice no longer carrying the commanding tone Trinity was used to hearing.

Trinity pondered for a few more seconds to try and think of how to best explain to Smith the inner workings of a human brain when it came to relationships and love.

 **'Well sometimes a person will say one thing but in reality they may feel the complete opposite'** Trinity explained looking toward Smith to see if he had caught any of that.

Nope he just looked majorly confused at her!

 _'Ok try again Trinity' she_ thought to herself.

 **'Take for instance…if a man really liked a woman or another man whatever his preference was, he may be afraid to tell that other person the truth for fear of rejection, or if someone is angry at someone else they may say one thing and mean another all because of the anger built up'**

Trinity glanced slightly to the side to see if Smith understood, she could see his gaze was to the ground in front of them and was thinking over what she had just said. It struck Trinity how crazy the situation was…she trying to teach an Agent about love.

 **'Sometimes people are wary about letting their true emotions show and others just don't know what to say so they end up saying the wrong things'**

The sun was beginning to set and the reds, blues and purples of the sky began to make way for the night and neon lights of the City. They continued walking towards the payphone Trinity was going to use to transport back, today for some reason Smith had said he would walk her to it, Trinity found that even though she knew she could handle herself and Smith knew she could handle herself…it was actually quite a nice gesture on his part to escort her there.

She was reluctant to admit it to herself but…she had actually enjoyed spending the day talking with him. Trinity had found that Smith for some reason had more of a personality (if you could call It that) than the other agents, maybe that was why he was regarded as the 'leader' of the small group? Whatever the reason he had been given these traits, he had them and She had picked up on them over their various conversations. It was his curiosity about humans, not in a bad way but in an almost childlike innocence kind of way that surprised her the most.

His voice once again brought her out of her musings:

 **'It seems strange, if a person likes another would it not be more logical to tell them the truth? That way both parties would know exactly what the other felt. Surely lying would be counter productive to what they actually want?'**

They had both come to a stop outside a payphone booth when Trinity turned to face him, she had a small sad smile on her face as she regarded the agent in front of her, his sentient program logic was so incredibly complex and yet effortlessly simple in a childlike way that she couldn't help the smile she gave him.

 **'That's true, it would be nice if everyone was more honest with each other but sometimes there are occasions when the truth is not the right answer and you have to lie to protect either yourself or the person you love'**

The payphone began ringing.

Trinity and Smith just stood and stared at each other for a few more seconds before Trinity turned slowly to reach for the receiver.

 **'Will you be coming back tomorrow?'** asked Smith in a low gentle voice.

Trinity turned to face Smith, her hand still on the receiver.

 **'Yes, if you and the other agents don't mind my company?'** She asked hopefully, normally she would have to annoy Smith and ask several times if she could spend more time with them, this was the first time he had asked her.

 **'Of course not…I enjoy our conversations'** he replied honestly.

Lifting the phone receiver up towards her ear, Trinity kept watching him as she whispered her reply…

 **'I enjoy them too'**

Within a few seconds, Smith watched as the woman disappeared right in front of him, gazing at the empty space where she once stood, he turned slowly and began making his way back up the street.

Trinity's first thought she had when she woke up was…

 _'I really do enjoy them'_


	2. Fast Car

**Fast Car – Jonas blue (Remix version of Tracy Chapman's song)**

The windows were rolled down,

It was a warm day in the City,

The breeze was blowing through her hair,

The driver still had his customary shades on,

She'd had to pester him to put the radio on,

It had been so long since she'd sat in a car and just enjoyed the ride,

The sun was high in the sky,

They were approaching the highway now,

He checked the mirrors, changed gear, foot down on the gas,

The car sped up,

She let a small smile escape her lips,

For now nothing else existed,

But the wind in her hair, the song on the radio,

Perfect for this one moment in time,

The scenery and the people rolling past,

The man driving,

They hadn't spoke for a while,

They didn't have to,

His posture was more relaxed now,

One hand on the wheel, the other arm rested by the window frame,

She couldn't help but steal a glance at him,

How had they both got here?

It no longer mattered,

For now,

She was happy.


	3. Gun

Many thanks to The Faint Muse for reviewing! :-)

Gun – CHVRCHES

BANG!

 **'Dammit!'**

 **'You're aiming too high'**

The look Trinity gave Smith was enough for the Agent to hold his hands up in front of him as if to say ' _I come in peace!'_

Turning back to face the makeshift target, several beer bottles perched on a wall one hundred yards away Trinity took aim again.

They had drove out to a quiet wooded area just twenty minutes out of town, Trinity had taken offence when Smith had stated earlier that day that no human could ever be as good as an agent when it came to certain things, the example he had given was shooting for instance. The Agents were equipped with unmatched marksmanship skills, something a human could never replicate, of course Trinity had to prove him wrong!

So here they were standing in this clearing whilst Trinity cursed under her breath every time she missed the target. She took aim again, her breathing was calm, her stance perfect, her left eye closed whilst her right one followed the lead edge of the top of the gun and lined up the target with the iron sight. Slowly, calmly she squeezed the trigger…

BANG!

 **'What the actual hell!?'** Trinity exclaimed furiously, she had missed again!

 **'I don't get it, why do I keep missing?'** She asked as she turned to face Smith.

 **'In the city the buildings shelter you from the winds but out here you need to adjust your aim to compensate for wind speed and direction'** Smith explained to her.

Trinity, feeling more and more deflated, looked back towards the targets, those beer bottles appeared to be mocking her.

She looked back towards Smith **'how do I do that?'**

Smith moved his gaze from the targets back to Trinity,

 **'Aim at the front green bottle'**

Trinity did as he instructed, she placed her feet apart into a solid base position, adjusted her body so she was comfortable, raised her arms up in front of her whilst gripping the gun tightly and began to focus on controlling her breathing.

She almost jumped with fright as she felt Smith move to stand right behind her; she hadn't heard him move! He was standing so close to her now, her back was against his chest, he had never been this close to her before. Slowly he brought his arms up around her, his hands moving to surround hers on the gun.

Trinity could feel his breath on the side of her cheek as he spoke.

 **'Relax your breathing'**

Trinity resisted the urge to tell him it was because of him her breathing was now all over the place!

Smith spoke lowly in her ear,

 **'Relax your arms, I'll guide you to where you need to aim'** Smith then proceeded to gently move her arms with his and his hands still wrapped around hers on the gun's handle.

If she was being completely honest, Trinity wasn't quite able to register everything that was happening, she was still getting her head around the fact that his arms were effectively wrapped around her body.

 **'Ok, now fire when you're ready'** Smith spoke again.

Trinity hadn't realised he had finished positioning her, she looked towards where she was aiming, it looked like it was way off target.

 **'Wait, there's no way I'll hit it if I aim there'** She said puzzled.

 **'Trust me, you will'**

Trinity stood for a few more seconds shaking her head at the impossible shot, before closing her left eye and squeezing the trigger.

BANG!

The beer bottle shattered into a million pieces!

 **'I did it!'** she cried excitedly. Trinity turned to see an almost smug look on the agents face.

Trinity smiled sarcastically ' **you don't need to look so smug you know'** she said **l** ooking up into his face, his arms had lowered to his sides but he was still standing quite close.

 **'I told you agents were better than humans at this'** he stated smugly to her.

Placing her hands on her hips she squared her shoulders and faced the agent, he was not getting away with that!

 **'Fine then smart-ass, lets see you hit one then'** Trinity challenged him with a mischievous glint in her eye.

Smith turned to look at the bottles left standing, he stood side on as he preferred using a one handed shooting style, reached his right hand into his jacket where his gun sat inside its holster. He pulled the weapon out and extended his right arm out in front of him to take aim. That was when he noticed Trinity had moved to stand next to him, she was looking over his shoulder to see where he was aiming. **'Hmm you sure you want to aim there?'** She quizzed him lightly. Remaining in position he turned his head to face her, he knew she was trying to put him off, it didn't matter, he knew it wouldn't work so decided to play along with it.

His reply was a slight smirk before asking ' **so where should I aim for then as you are now the expert?'**

Trinity smiled wickedly, she knew his ego would make him play along as if he couldn't be beaten, she was going to enjoy upsetting him!

 **'Well if it was me…'** She started before moving to stand closer to him, he was just a little bit taller than her.

She mirrored his position so that her left arm was raised like his right, her hand resting over his and their bodies were square on with their heads turned to face the front.

Trinity ignored her heart hammering away in her chest and leant forward into him so that their upper bodies were well and truly touching, she then drew her lips close to his ear and whispered.

 **'I think you should aim here'** and she guided his gun just ever so slightly to the left of the target.

He followed as she directed and allowed himself to be moved by her, it was then he noticed that her other hand had actually moved from her side to rest on his chest…

Smith was actually surprised at how close she had come to him, he didn't know what to do!

Should he keep his arm by his side? Maybe he should move it to rest at her waist? What the hell was going on? He didn't want to admit it but she had actually succeeded in making him fluster a bit!

He couldn't concentrate properly with her so close to him, her voice so low and gentle whispering into his ear. Smith needed to focus, he aimed for the target

 **'You know you can fire whenever you want'** Trinity spoke mockingly into his ear again, oh she was enjoying this, she could see the agent losing focus.

Squeezing the trigger, Smith knew instantly he had messed up.

BANG!

The bottle target remained intact!

He just stood there in disbelief…he had just been beaten by a human girl!

He lowered his arm and turned his head slowly to face her, she had the look of triumph on her face.

 **'Oh well never mind, maybe next time with some practise'** she mocked him as she lightly patted his chest a few times before walking back towards the car. Oh she would never let him forget this!

Smith stood dumbfounded as he watched Trinity slink off back to the car chuckling to herself, he waited till she was in the car out of earshot.

A sly smirk once again appeared on the Agents face as he raised his gun once more, he didn't even bother looking this time…

BANG!

BANG!

BANG!

Shards of glass flew everywhere as the three remaining bottles were destroyed within seconds.

Holstering his gun, Smith walked back towards the car.


	4. American Beauty American Psycho

American Beauty/American Psycho by Fall Out Boy

The elevator had been empty when they first got in, now several floors later it was packed and the pretty dark haired lady in black and the smart suited man found themselves squashed in a corner at the far back.

The little boy couldn't help looking around, he had been dragged around the shops all day by his mum and he was now completely bored, he wanted to see if anything interesting was happening.

He looked to his right where his mother was stood chatting to his grandmother next to her, to his left was a balding older man that looked like a business man, he had the suit, the briefcase and the dull expressionless face.

Huffing to himself the boy folded his arms and willed the lift to hurry up, he wanted this shopping trip over so he could go home and play XBox with his older brother.

Another minute passed,

The boy turned his head to the side then his body so he could have a nosey at the people standing behind them.

Nothing exciting really, a delivery man with some parcels, a few women chatting away, a young businessman eyeing up the women chatting and a man and a woman standing close together at the back. Nothing special really, until something caught the boy's eye…

The dark suited man standing at the back with the pretty woman, his suit jacket was open and there was something hidden in underneath next to his side. The dark colouring stood out against the man's white shirt.

The young boy's eyes went wide as he realised it was a gun the man was carrying! He knew it was a gun, he had seen characters in TV shows with gun holsters just like that, usually they were cops or gangsters.

The boy quickly turned his head to the front pretending he hadn't seen it, but it wasn't long till his curiosity got the better of him and he had to turn around again slyly to have another look.

The pretty woman dressed in black standing next to the man had moved closer to him and was now whispering into his ear, the young boy's heart nearly jumped out of his chest as the dark suited, gun wielding man looked right at him!

The boy quickly turned back to face the front again, he was shaking, what if the man was angry?

Whilst this had all been going on, the boy hadn't realised the elevator doors opening and his mother began dragging him along, 'come on Thomas this is our floor' his mother said as she pulled him by the hand out of the lift.

Thomas turned quickly to see the remaining two people in the elevator before the doors closed, the dark suited man and the pretty woman in black. The man merely cocked an eyebrow at him whilst the woman stood in front of the man and began slowly buttoning up his jacket, with a smile she turned to Thomas and pressed a finger to her lips as if to say…

 _'Shhh'_


	5. Sunset

Sunset by The Midnight

The water was lazily lapping on the shoreline whilst the last few of the diehard surfers either caught the last of the waves of the day or sat on their boards and chatted away to each other.

Sunset was about an hour away so the sky was slowly turning from the deep blues of the day to the reds and yellows in preparation for the sun's exit amongst the horizon.

The beach was quieter now that most of the sun worshippers, families and surfers had begun filtering away home, only a handful remained on the sun kissed beach.

Next to the beach was a small parking lot which was also starting to empty as folk began filtering off the beach and back into the city.

One car that remained, it had been there for twenty minutes.

The passenger was sat inclined back, relaxing listening to a combination of the radio, the ocean and her partner's occasional words.

Trinity had dozed off after fifteen minutes of them arriving at the beach, she had begged Smith to go there tonight as she really wanted to see the sunset. He had originally said 'No' however Trinity found that she was getting better at pestering him and sweet-talking him into doing things, it only took her about eight minutes to get him to break today!

So having arrived at the parking lot to await the sunset, Smith cut the engine, undone his seatbelt and slouched in the drivers seat with his arms crossed whilst Trinity got herself comfortable in the passenger seat. For fifteen minutes prior to her falling asleep, the unlikely two sat and spoke about whatever came to mind, usually Trinity making fun of his grumbling about 'sitting around doing nothing' and 'humans with their strange habits'. It was a surreal situation Trinity thought, here she was sat in an agent's car with Smith of all people waiting for the sunset, and to top it off she actually enjoyed spending time in his company. For all her teasing she gave him he gave just as good back, it made trinity smile when he teased back, it made him seem more human.

After a while of talking Trinity felt herself getting tired, a mixture of a long day and the day's heat made her doze off slowly, she tried to fight off the tiredness but her eyelids just felt too heavy.

Smith had noticed Trinity had been (uncharacteristically) quiet for a few minutes, turning his head slowly to look at her he saw that she was dozing peacefully with her body turned to face him and her hands tucked under her chin.

This caused the agent to smirk, of course she would make him drive her all the way here just for her to fall asleep and miss it! He would wake her up in time but no doubt she would moan at him for waking her up! Typical human female logic!

Smith took his shades off and placed them in the inside pocket of his jacket before facing forward, crossing his arms and slouching back into the seat again. Resting his head back against the cushioned headrest, he began observing the different people still walking about the beach. Two men in the water paddling on their boards, the group of young women chatting as they began packing up their towels, magazines and bags, another group were playing Frisbee in the distance whilst a couple were strolling hand in hand along the waterfront.

Unbeknownst to Smith, Trinity had already woken up quietly, she had been roused from her slumber when she heard Smith moving around putting his shades away that her eyes had fluttered open and rested on him first. She hadn't meant to watch him, but for some reason she just kept on watching as he settled back into the seat, it was very rare for her to catch him off guard. For once he actually looked sort-of relaxed, you wouldn't expect this to be the same man that could, within a seconds notice, take off and chase down a rebel with ease.

The sky was turning incredible shades of red and yellow, Trinity had always loved watching the sunset before…well before the 'real' world had caught up with her.

The volume on the radio was quite low but Trinity could still make out the opening lines of the song that had just come on.

' _Faked our deaths, lit a match, closed the door, waited for the flash, Greyhound station, paid in cash, Miss Lazarus we're coming back'_

Trinity recognized it from hearing it the other day on the radio, from what she could gather from the lyrics it was about a boy and a girl running away, escaping the city, leaving their old lives behind.

Stealing another glance at the agent beside her, she couldn't help but let her mind wander.

He had quite a handsome face (when he wasn't scowling that is!) and now that he was relaxed and didn't have his guard up, she could see the side of him no one else ever saw. The thing that entranced her most of all though were his eyes, on the rare occasions went he took his shades off, Trinity had never had a chance to get a good look at them, but now she could just about make out from his side profile that they were blue and quite striking at that!

 _'_ _They say it's darkest before the dawn, we've been in this town for far too long, they say it's darkest before the dawn, we're moving on, we're moving on, we're moving on…'_

The song continued to play in the background whilst the rebel and the agent sat side by side.

It was nearly time for sunset but Trinity could not take her eyes off of him, she never thought in a million years that she would be sat here with him like this! It seemed almost crazy.

 **'** **You know, if you keep staring at me you're going to miss the sunset'**

Trinity was surprised when Smith's low voice spoke all of a sudden, how long had he known she was watching him?

Pulling herself up in the seat to stretch her weary muscles, Trinity caught a flash of a smirk on the Agent's face.

 **'I wasn't staring, just observing'** she replied defiantly.

It was Smith's turn to glance at her, their eyes meeting properly for the first time, it nearly took Trinity's breath away.

They sat like that for a few seconds, neither saying a word, there was no need or words, whatever this moment was…they both felt it.

Trinity could feel her heart beginning to race, it had got considerably warmer in the car…

She turned her head to look out the window just as the sun was beginning to set, she didn't see Smith watching her for a few seconds more before he too turned to watch the sun go down.

 _'Sunset no regrets, first chance last dance, stuck in the middle, even bad girls know good love, you taste so sweet it hurts a little…'_


	6. Monster

**Authors note:** Thank you for the very kind reviews so far! I should probably mention that these chapters can be read as either one shots or as part of a whole story, I do plan to progress the chapters as if they are following a structured timeline. The basic concept so far is that due to the matrix suffering a cataclysmic glitch a year ago, Trinity (and the other rebels) have found that they can move around the marix world with no worries of the Agents attacking them. Seeing this as a once in a lifetime opportunity to observe the agents to learn their secrets, Trinity starts spending time with them to see what information she can get that could help the rebels defeat them in the future. The only problem? She didn't realise just how much of an effect Smith would have on her…

 **Elven Star Angel** – Wow thank you for your review, that is some very high praise indeed! I remember reading 5M1TH's fics too years ago and loved them, I wonder whatever happened to 5M1TH? I would love for them to write some more.

Just realised I never put down a disclaimer at the start: All lyrics and the movie are owned by their respective creators, these fics are just for fun.

* * *

 **The Monster- Andrew Baena and Brian Storm (Eminem and Rihanna cover)**

 _His hands grasped hold of her hips so tightly she knew there would be bruises later, his lips assaulted her neck and throat with warm powerful kisses that caused her to gasp at the sensation. Her left hand was currently grasping the back of his neck before dragging her fingers up through his hair, she didn't want him to stop the incredible assault on her throat, especially the way he used his tongue to elicit goose bumps all over her body._

 _She had no idea how she had got here, how they had got to this point, nor could she focus on anything else around her, be it sight, sound or smell… nothing else existed, the whole world was a dark blur, apart from the man in front of her. He'd wrapped his arms around her pulling her flush against him, she could now feel every inch of his body, his strong chest felt good against hers._

 _Moving her arms around his neck, she placed her hands on either side of his face so that she could pull his head away from her neck and level with her face. With such ferocity and passion she crashed her lips against his, both were fighting for control and dominance over the kiss but neither wanted to give it up. She wrapped her arms tightly around his neck effectively locking him in place so that he could not escape her grasp. His tongue begged entry into her mouth and she gladly allowed it, her own dancing with his. She had to remind herself to breath, she was so caught up in him, those eyes..._

 _As the kiss slowed down, the two of them found themselves opening their eyes gradually whilst still placing feather light kisses on the others lips, both of their breathing was ragged and all over the place._

 _Something deep within her warmed her to the very core, this man made her heart race and her senses alight, he had ignited something powerful within her that she could not deny. There were certain words in her mind, in her heart that she longed to say to him, she wished she could tell him…_

 _Sensing her nervousness he slowly whispered to her lips 'Trinity'_

 _Would he say those words first? She wondered…_

'Trinity'

 **'TRINITY!'**

With a sudden shock Trinity quickly sat up in bed, nearly colliding with Morpheus as he sat at her bedside shaking her shoulder, where was she? What was going on?

He hadn't meant to scare her, he only meant to rouse her from her slumber gently!

 **'Hey hey Trinity relax!** ' exclaimed Morpheus trying to calm the anxious woman down.

Looking to her companion wide eyed and confused.

 **'It's okay it's just me, you were dreaming!** ' he tried to settle her down.

Realisation began dawning on Trinity's face once the fog of sleep cleared away from her fuzzy mind as she realised she had fallen asleep in her bunk and was still on the Nebuchadnezzar.

Taking a few minutes to steady her breathing she looked to the older man next to her.

 **'Morpheus…what the hell?'** was all she could muster.

Smiling slightly at his young friend's amusing state, he held his hands up in mock apology.

 **'I'm sorry Trinity I did not mean to scare you like that, I was hoping to have a quick word with you and you were obviously dreaming'**

Feeling as if she had just been caught out even though she had done nothing wrong, she tensed up slightly as the full memory of her dream came flooding back full force, It was all she could do not to damn well blush right then and there!

Luckily for her Morpheus had not noticed (or at least chose not to make it aware he had)

 **'I just wanted to have a chat with you about your recent 'missions' into the matrix'** He started off casually.

 **'Okay, what about them do you want to chat about?'** Trinity answered back cautiously. Morpheus had been her mentor, her father figure and most importantly her friend ever since she first arrived here, she felt bad about having to be wary around him, he only cared for her wellbeing but still she felt that she should proceed with caution.

Looking to his young comrade he begun…

 **'You've been spending a lot of time in the matrix recently…'**

 **'Which I explained was to research and observe how the agents operate, you knew this when I first begun'**

Placing both hands on her shoulders as if to reassure her, he continued **…**

 **'I know Trinity, I know that and it was an incredibly brave thing for you to do, especially when we do not know how long this glitch could last for, the agents could turn at any second and there would be nothing we could do to stop them'**

Looking into the eyes of her older friend, Trinity adjusted her position as she sat back in bed.

Morpheus continued some more…

 **'This is the first time we have had unprecedented access to the matrix without fear of the agents causing us problems and your research is so very important to how we could fight and defend ourselves against them in the future'**

 **'So what's the problem Morpheus?'** She asked slowly, looking up into his eyes.

Looking to the young woman in front of him, Morpheus took a deep breath.

 **'I'm just worried about you Trinity. I'm worried about you spending so much time in there and with the agents all around you, being in there with 'him'**

Trinity knew he was referring to Smith

 **'The glitch may be preventing the agents from seeing you as a danger or a threat but you must remember to not get lulled into a false sense of security Trinity…he's manipulative, a monster and would not hesitate to put a bullet into you the second that glitch is fixed. They may seem co operative, peaceful and possibly even friendly but make no mistake they are dangerous Trinity, don't be fooled by anything they say.'**

Whatever warmth Trinity had felt due to the dream was now replaced by a cold numbness, she knew Morpheus spoke sense and only had her safety in mind, but for some reason the truth hurt and it hurt for her to accept it.

Morpheus had remained silent whilst Trinity sat and pondered over her thoughts and his recent words.

 **'I promise I will be careful Morpheus, I know what they are, I've seen what they are capable of, I just want to make the most of this opportunity we have whilst we have it, it may mean the difference between life and death in the future'.** Trinity pleaded to him.

Morpheus considered her words thoroughly and although he was not happy about the situation (he was fine with her observing the agents from afar but not actively conversing herself with them) he had to accept that she had taken on this personal mission and would not be deterred from it.

Nodding slowly he placed his hands back on her shoulders caringly.

 **'Ok just no heroics and if things look like they are going wrong, get out of there immediately! You here me?'**

Placing her hands on top of his and grasping them tightly she looked to him with a soft smile.

 **'I promise Morpheus'**

Satisfied with her answer, Morpheus slowly nodded once more, got to his feet and left her to her thoughts.

Watching the retreating back of her mentor and friend, Trinity remained in her sitting position in bed and thought some more on their discussion.

She knew that the truce had only come about because of the glitch, there was no way she and Smith would be conversing now had that not happened. They would still be enemies…but were they not still enemies? It certainly didn't feel like it. She had gotten to spend time with the agent and she had found something about him that she couldn't quite understand. Morpheus' words came back to mock her, of course they were still enemies, the glitch had given everyone a false sense of reality. The agents would attack them without a second's hesitation, would Smith attack her then? Would everything they had spoke about be for nothing?

A single flash of hurt and anguish filled her at the thought.

Her dream had awakened something inside of her, something she thought she would never feel again.

Something she was supposed to feel for 'The One'…

Neo.

She lay back down and pulled her sheets over her again, the memory of the dream replaying in her mind over and over again.

Could Smith really still be a monster after all the trust they had achieved?

A single tear escaped down her cheek and landed on the pillow below, she wasn't sure what to believe anymore.

All she knew was that it was not Neo she had been dreaming about…

It was Smith.

-x-

 _'_ _I'm friends with the monster that's under my bed_ _,_ _get along with the voices inside of my head_

 _You're trying to save me, stop holding your breath_ _and you think I'm crazy, yeah, you think I'm crazy'._


	7. Awful things

**Author note-** Hey folks just a quick mention, first off thank you for the reviews, you're too kind! Also I had a search through the Matrix wiki site to get some background info on Trinity and one of the things I noticed on there was it states there was no real mention of her 'true' name (as in pre unplugging from matrix name) for some reason I always thought her surname was 'Edwards' and her first name was something like Catherine/Katherine/wiki mentions a fan speculation of maybe Alice or Dinah (which carries on the Alice in Wonderland reference from the first movie). I'm guessing I probably got the Edwards name from another fan-fic I read and it's just stuck in my head! For the sake of this fic I'm just going to stick with Katherine Edwards (to keep it simple) and I'm going to play about a bit with her background history. I know in the films she was a computer programmer and hacker but I think I might have a play about with her history, make her a bit more interesting and varied than just the standard hacker/computer nerd girl. (FYI no offence to computer nerds - I am one! haha) So once again just to reiterate I am playing about with certain characters and changing stuff around so some of the backgrounds/facts in my fic will be inaccurate compared to the movies.

 **Awful things – Lil Peep**

 ** _'Do you ever regret it?'_**

Trinity turned her head slowly to face the owner of the masculine voice sitting next to her, his gaze still hidden behind those damn shades even in the oncoming early evening darkness, but she could tell his focus was staring out over the city. She had wanted to see the bright and neon lights of the city and he had casually stated that he might have known a location that would have been suitable…

 _Boy did he ever!_ Thought Trinity shaking her head with amusement and wonder as she found herself sat on the roof top of one of the city's highest skyscrapers whilst the city lights twinkled like stars beneath them. The city itself felt alive, the people bustling around downtown, the busy nightlife, the lights all around, the noise from the traffic, the music from the bars and clubs…the city was an entity in it's own right, with it's own pulse, a single life force powered by the energy of the thousands of inhabitants moving around below them.

Completely unaware of the two solitary and unlikely figures sat hundreds of feet up above them.

The rebel and the agent.

Trinity had found a safe bit of low wall running next to the building's roof top air-con unit to sit on far enough away from the ledge but close enough to get the full benefit of the breath taking view, Agent Smith had uncharacteristically sat down easily next to her, his whole demeanour continuing to slowly grow more relaxed and easy around her which was something she had begun to notice more and more recently. He no longer said 'no' to her random requests of spending time around him and the other agents or even stopped her from riding around in the car with them to carry out jobs around the city. It was like he was allowing her in to their world…he was accepting her and allowing her whatever request she asked of him .The awkwardness she had felt the first few weeks of being around the agent had slowly faded away until it became almost 'normal' to be around him and the other agents. Trinity was no fool though, she knew just how dangerous Smith was and she had to constantly remind herself that the agent sitting next to her could…at any moment…turn on her and attack! Although at that moment, right then and there, sitting next to him…she couldn't honestly imagine not being able to sit down and talk with Smith.

The question hung in the air for a while, Smith didn't push for an answer, he knew it was a huge and fully loaded question and was aware it would take Trinity a moment to gather her thoughts before she attempted to answer him.

 _Did she regret it?_

 _Did she regret following Morpheus down the goddamn rabbit hole, making the ultimate choice to leave the Matrix, to be unplugged and in 'the real world'._

 _Fuck sake! That's the million dollar question right there isn't it?_ Trinity thought flippantly, the slight chill of the evening causing her to shiver slightly. She slowly turned her head once again to observe the agent next to her. He sat about a foot away from her, his hands clasped together loosely as they lay in his lap, his back resting against the shiny metal side of the air con unit, the lights from the city reflected in his shades whilst he continued to gaze down at the city below. He was the most dangerous program any of the rebels had ever encountered within the matrix, he was 'the enemy', the one supposed to bring them down, destroy them all.

 _'I can't believe I'm about to tell you this',_ Trinity thought solemnly as she stared at Smith, did he even realise just how massive this was? She had never dared to utter this confession out loud to anyone ever, not Neo, not any of her closest friends on the crew and by god never would she ever allow Morpheus to know how she truly felt. This was a sort of taboo around Zion and the unplugged population, you never really asked anyone if they regretted being unplugged because the 'proper' and 'righteous' answer was always supposed to be ' _of course not! It is far better to live in the REAL world, not a fake one as a slave to the machines_ '. That was the answer **everyone** was supposed to give (even if you secretly didn't agree with it as generally those that did express regret were looked down upon and regarded as fools and to a certain extent traitors).

 ** _'Yes'_**

The single solitary word was spoken so softly, so quietly and yet the sheer power and weight of that single word was undeniable. She wasn't even sure if Smith had even heard her over the background noise of the city; that was until the agent turned to face her, he waited for her to continue.

Taking a few deep breaths Trinity began…

 **'Honestly…yes I do'** Trinity said as she slowly turned her gaze down to the city streets below.

 **'You see all those people down there? That used to be me,** ** _well…not so much the ones going out getting drunk all the time,_** **but I had a life and regardless of the fact it was within the Matrix - I didn't know any better! I had no inkling of anything wrong with our world so it felt like a real life to me. I had friends I enjoyed meeting up with, laughing with, socialising, sharing my life with, doing all the things a young woman enjoyed doing. '**

Trinity took a moment's pause, the debate still raging in her mind as to whether or not she should really be sharing this confession with Smith.

She continued on.

' **I had dreams, I had…aspirations of what I wanted to do with my…'life''** She muttered the last word almost half-heartedly.

 **'I wanted to run my own business, I wanted to somehow give something back to the community, help those in need you know like the kids, the elderly, the vulnerable, folk that were struggling I wanted to help them all. The computing…well I only got into that to help me further my chances of making that dream a reality…boy did it ever lead me to reality!'** Trinity snorted with a shake of her head.

Smith had remained silent throughout Trinity's admission. He continued to observe her through his shaded gaze.

 **'Turns out I'm actually quite good at computing, very good in fact and it lead me to Morpheus…or should I say it lead Morpheus to me, but do you want to know the thing that has always angered me even after all this time?'**

Smith nodded his head slightly for her to continue.

 **'When we found Neo, he was already filled with suspicion about the 'real world', he knew something was not quite right with the world around him, he could see the tiny details that most folk couldn't even possibly notice…I didn't have that! I had no suspicion with the world or that something was majorly off, so why did Morpheus pick me?** **Was it** **because I was so skilled with a computer? Was it the prophecy? Whatever it was that led Morpheus to me it just…it doesn't seem fair as I wasn't looking for something that wasn't there, to me there was no great unanswered question that I was striving to solve, I was just a normal girl living a normal life and then when Morpheus made contact with me it turned my whole world upside down.'**

Trinity had to take a moment, her heart was racing and she had felt the faint stirrings of anger rise inside her. She had also never voiced these words out aloud before and here she was telling them to an agent of all people!

Smith had sat silently listening to the young female human next to him; to say he was surprised was an understatement as Trinity was always looked upon as one of the key members of Morpheus' group, he hadn't expected her to harbour these thoughts and beliefs about leaving the Matrix.

On a secondary thought however, Smith was very well aware of how convincing and cunning Morpheus could be, the rebel leader knew no bounds when it came to achieving his objectives of bringing down the machines and if unplugging an unsuspecting human because of a belief in the prophecy or even as a means to finding 'the one' was what he had to do then Smith believed he would do it, without hesitation.

Smith had to ask.

 **'So when Morpheus told you the truth of the Matrix, what made you decide to follow him?'**

The young woman next to him let out a soft, deep sigh before she answered.

 **'It felt like the right thing to do…I mean I had just been told that everything I knew was a lie, the whole world was false and no matter how devastated and angry I was with this news, I was driven enough to want to find answers, I needed to know, I had to know…'**

Trinity got up slowly and began walking around; her legs had fallen asleep whilst she had been sat down all that time on the air con unit, she needed to walk out the pins and needles feeling she had in her legs.

Smith watched her carefully as she walked around the roof casually, his eyes never leaving her form.

' **Thing is though…he never told me what the reality of the real world actually was, I mean he spoke in riddles and clever clichéd sayings to pique my interest, spoke about following him down the rabbit hole to find out what the real world was actually like…**

 **Not once did he choose to just be honest and tell me the complete truth of what was really happening…well he did but that was after I had made my choice and it was too late for me to change my mind'.**

Trinity had stopped walking and was just gazing out over the skyline now.

The sun had set hours ago, the sky was dark and the city lights were twinkling all around, the neon signs from downtown helping cast an ethereal glow to the buildings, spotlights in the up market district gave a real 'Hollywood' glamorous feel as they moved around and lit up the sky. Revellers could be heard from the streets below singing, laughing and chatting away as they went about their business.

 **'Had I known that the real world meant never seeing the sun again or walking along a beach with the tide drifting in and out around my feet…'**

Smith could hear the bitterness catch in Trinity's voice, he stood up slowly and began walking towards her.

 **'To never see my friends again, to have to live everyday worrying about if I was going to survive or not and if I did was there even a future worth surviving for? To have to live in a dark, miserable place where even though it's apparently the real world I'm still not truly free!'**

Trinity stopped, she couldn't go on anymore, the moments like this when she truly let her emotions go and she thought about everything she had been through caused her anger to rise and her anxiety levels completely wracked through her whole body. She had to admit though it did feel good to **finally** be able to speak about it and get it all off her chest, it was the first time anyone had actually sat and listened to her and she did not have to fear judgement or persecution from them, how ironic of all people it had to be an agent!

She turned her head to see Smith had come to stand next to her looking out over the city, she was thankful that he had remained silent and allowed her to offload everything without making any judgemental comments.

 **'You see that bar down there?'** Smith asked whilst pointing down to what looked like an Irish bar on the corner of the street across from the building they were standing on.

A confused Trinity took a good long look at where Smith was pointing, the green signs and lettering indicating that the fine drinking establishment in question was named **'Foley's'** and it was obviously a popular bar as the crowd inside were practically spilling onto the pavement outside, the faint sounds of 'The Wild Rover' blasting over the speakers alongside the voices of all who were currently enjoying the evening's entertainment.

 **'The Irish bar…what about it?'** Trinity wondered why Smith was so interested in a pub.

 **'A lady threw her drink over Agent Jones in there'**

Trinity could not help herself, whatever she was expecting Smith to say…this was not it, so she burst out laughing at the thought of the other agent's mishap.

Trying to compose herself Trinity tried to speak.

 **'Wait what? What do you mean? What happened? How exactly?'** Trinity could barely get her words out through the laughter.

Smith couldn't help the smirk as he remembered the incident in question.

 **'We were called to the area about a year ago, there was a rumour that there was going to be a couple of rebels there planning on causing a bit of trouble, so we headed there to wait to see if any of your group showed up'.**

Trinity nodded slowly **' Go on'**

 **'Well as it turned out it was a false alarm, no rebels turned up at all, however by that point in the evening most of the people in that bar were…very intoxicated…'**

 **'Yeah I'll bet'** Trinity muttered sarcastically.

 **'So as the three of us made our way to leave the establishment a drunk woman decided she like the look of Agent Jones and well…threw herself at him'**

Trinity swung her head around quickly to look at Smith with a shocked 'you've got to be kidding me' look on her face.

 **'She didn't!'**

 **'She did'**

Trinity couldn't help herself as she burst out laughing again, **'Oh please tell me there is more!'**

 **'Agent Jones tried to get the woman off as best as he could, to be fair it looked quite difficult as she was trying to kiss him at the time, she of course got offended when she realised he wasn't interested so she proceeded to scream abuse at him and then pour what I believe was whisky over his head'**

It was safe to say Trinity now had tears in her eyes at the visions Smith's story was giving her. To think that drunken woman had no idea who or what she had done that to just amazed Trinity.

 **'So where were you and Brown then when all this was going on?'** She chuckled shaking her head.

 **'We were walking ahead about to leave the bar and had to turn around to go back and grab him, by this point the offended drunk woman had told her friends and everyone around her that Jones was being a…'** ** _jerk_** **' I think you humans call it? And was causing trouble, well…it started off a bit of a riot in the bar so we had to grab him and run pretty much'.**

Trinity stared at the agent in absolute amusement **, 'So the three of you upset a woman and caused a riot in an Irish bar?'**

 **'Well technically it was Jones that upset her, but yes logically we,** ** _I suppose_** **were the reason for that riot happening'** Smith countered back.

Once again for the third time that evening Trinity found herself forgetting all of her problems and misery and just laughed like she hadn't laughed in such a long time. She truly had needed this tonight, he had sat and listened to her unload her problems on to him and then made her laugh to take her mind off the problems she had begun to think and dwell on. She wasn't even sure if he had meant to do it on purpose or if they had just conveniently been in the right place for him to remember the amusing anecdote he shared with her. Either way she was grateful.

 **'Thank you, I needed that, I haven't truly laughed in so long'**

Smith turned and nodded slightly, she caught the slight smirk he quickly tried to hide from her.

 **'Although I'll probably never be able to take Agent Jones serious ever again now'**

The two remained standing on the roof top observing the city below them, soon it would be time for Trinity to make her way to her exit, back to the 'real world'.


	8. Expiration Date

**Expiration date – Fear Factory**

You're blind to what's in front of you

What do you know about the truth?

* * *

You know that strange almost out of body feeling that occurs right before a traumatic, potentially life or death situation happens? You know the whole 'time slows down' scenario where it seems like the whole world has slowed to a crawl and you can actually witness the event happening right before your very eyes…before it has even happened?

That feeling is real.

However we all know that time travel is not, so what does happen to make those nano seconds drag out into what seems like minutes?

Some believe that in situations of extreme danger it is our experience that has changed not the time.

The human mind automatically reverts to its ancient survival thought process…aka 'fight or flight'.

This means the brain works more quickly to assess and deal with the situation at hand and this in turn makes the outside world appear to move more slowly.

* * *

It started the moment her foot left the safety of the sidewalk.

Sunlight streamed through the buildings, bathing the city in early morning rays of gold.

A slight glance over to the right…followed by the left.

The faint breeze that gently swept her wisps of hair carried the morning chill with it.

Noise from the city, slowly began to fade to a dull heartbeat. Hers.

Her foot had already made contact with the road, her other foot was on it's way to join alongside it.

The busy morning rush hour was in full flow.

Her heart thudded painfully within her chest when she realised she was in trouble.

School children chatted loudly as they safely walked the sidewalk behind her.

Her legs weighed down as if made from stone.

Random beeps from motorists trying to fight their way through the city traffic to go to work.

She had made a mistake. Ice now replaced blood as it raced through her veins.

The collective stench of garbage trucks, morning fast food and coffee shops continued to invade her nostrils.

This was it.

The sunlight caught her eyes.

 _'How could this be the end?'_ Her mind raced wildly.

It was not the driver's fault, well maybe the speed he was going at **_was_** but ultimately she should have been paying more attention. Isn't that what they teach little kids? And here she was a full-grown woman.

She often thought it would be by a gunshot wound.

Too late to do anything now. Nowhere to go…this was it.

Maybe even a fall from one of the buildings after being chased by the agents was a more realistic death than this.

Seconds felt like minutes.

But never had she ever considered she would die this way.

All of her senses had dulled and yet heightened at the same time.

She had never even noticed the garbage truck.

Her friends…she would not get a chance to say goodbye or that for all their faults she truly did love them all, they were her family.

There was so much she still needed to do…to say, still wanted to live for.

Her final thought was of him…

Her eyes closed tight at the expected impact.

A bruising almost crushing grip had wrapped around her wrist.

The next feeling she had was the force of the grip pulling her back, almost pulling her arm out of it's socket.

Then, as if like a video going from slow to quick she felt herself yanked back on to the sidewalk, her body colliding hard with another.

As if time had resumed back to normal speed, Trinity could only stare wide eyed and in shock as the previously mentioned garbage truck sped past her, the driver angrily honking his horn and shouting profanity out of the window to her. The fumes from the exhaust causing her to cough slightly, and her eyes began to water.

Breathing heavily after holding her breath for what felt like ages, she realised she was still being held tightly by the person who had saved her. His arm clasped tightly around her waist whilst her wrist was still in his vice like grip, her back square up against his chest.

Both stood absolutely still, neither quite sure what to say or do for a few minutes, the shock still evident in Trinity's eyes.

After a few moments Trinity felt the person behind her slowly lower his head down towards hers, his lips inches from her ear. The proximity to this man caused a slight shiver to run up her spine.

 ** _'There are far easier, less painful ways to get out of the Matrix you know'_** Smith's low voice gently growled mockingly to the woman in his arms, his grip remained firm around her waist and her wrist, this little titbit hadn't gone unnoticed by Trinity.

Slowly she felt Smith loosening his grip on her wrist before he finally released his arm from around her waist, his hand gently sliding around to her hip before releasing her completely from his grasp and taking a small step back from her.

Trinity turned to face him, she still hadn't quite come down from the shock of nearly being flattened by that truck so she could only do what her body was capable of doing after such an adrenaline fuelled fright…nod dumbly!

 **'Come'** Smith ordered her gently; the traffic had slowed to a halt and was now stationary for what would be a while, so he guided her across the road more safely this time. Amused by the fact he was able to finally order her about with no worry of getting an earful or a slap from her. Although he knew that wouldn't last long!

Under the surface we're not machines * Under the surface we're living dreams  
Death lives just one breath away


	9. The Coffee Song

**Author's note** – I've been writing a lot of serious chapters recently (a few I have uploaded and two which are future chapters) so I had to do a light hearted/silly one for a bit of fun.

* * *

 **The Coffee Song – Frank Sinatra**

Struggling valiantly with the four cups of steaming beverages in her hands, Trinity finally managed to make her way back to the car, one of the occupants that was sat in the back seat opened the door from the inside to let her in.

Carefully sitting herself down in the backseat of the car, she balanced the cups in her lap with one hand whilst the other hand quickly grabbed the handle of the door and slammed it shut.

 **'Right gentlemen, who's is who's? '** Trinity asked the three other occupants.

The two men sat in front turned around to face her.

 **'Mine is the latte'** the passenger in the front spoke up first to which Trinity checked which one was which and handed over the drink to the Agent named Jones.

 **'Thanks'**

 **'Smith I think this one is your** **Espresso, although how you can drink that I've no idea'** Trinity stated jokingly before handing the drink over to Smith who was sat in the driver seat, their fingers briefly touched which caused both of them to look up at the same time and catch each others eyes. Luckily Smith had his shades on at the time so Trinity was able to look away quickly, she didn't think she would have been able to look away otherwise, not from those blue eyes! She couldn't help but think they were quite striking.

Smith on the other hand had noticed her looking at him before quickly looking back down to the drink order. He just smirked casually before turning in his seat to face the front and sip on his drink.

 **'This looks like my Chai tea here'** Trinity muttered to herself before holding the last cup out to the Agent sat next to her.

 **'…And this must be yours Brown'**

Agent Brown went to take the cup from Trinity before abruptly stopping his hand mid air.

 **'Extra warm single, half-fat quad?'** He asked.

 ** _'Yes'_**

 **'Ristretto, venti with just a dash of caramel drizzle?'**

 ** _'I…think…so'_**

 **'Cinnamon?'**

 ** _'That's what I asked for'_**

 **'Sugar free Macchiato?'**

 ** _'I guess so'_**

 **'4 pump?'**

 **'** ** _I have no idea how many pumps a coffee should have…'_**

By this point both Smith and Jones had stopped drinking and had turned around to stare at the exchange going on in the back.

 **'Dolce Soy skinny?'**

 ** _'Do you even know what these words mean?'_**

 **'2 percent foam?'**

 ** _'Can you even tell the difference?'_**

 **'Lite water heated to precisely 120 degrees?'**

 ** _'I have no words…'_**

 **'Definitely no syrup?'**

 ** _'No will to live anymore'_**

 **'Fantastic! Thank you!'** The agent said before taking the cup from the now tired and confused woman.

The two agents in the front just exchanged confused looks at each other whilst Brown began sipping contentedly on his mega hipster rocket fuelled never-sleep-again coffee drink without a care in the world.

The two agents in the front just shook their heads before slowly turning back around to finish their coffees. The car was once again silent.

 **'So what took you so long anyway?'**


	10. The Gates of Oblivion

**The Gates of Oblivion – Suicide Commando**

It hadn't been long after Trinity fell asleep, for the nightmare to descend.

* * *

Running harder, faster…the sound of her feet pounding furiously on the metal grate flooring echoing all around her.

Trinity's chest felt like it was burning, she was breathing hard punishing breaths, the metallic smell invaded her nostrils and the smoke from all around hurt her lungs.

She needed to get away! Now!

As she continued to run, twisting and turning through the various dark corridors of the Nebuchadnezzar, she swore she could still hear the machines on her tail; they were relentless.

No matter which way she went or how fast she ran she just couldn't escape them.

Her legs were in agony, the brutal pace she had to push her muscles to was starting to really hurt now, and she didn't know how long she could keep this up!

Her arms swung hard as she ran, driving her further with the momentum, the clanking and metal whirring noises coming from behind her were helping fuel her adrenaline to push on further still.

Trinity did not dare turn around to see how far…or close the machines were, she had done that once already to be greeted by the terrifying sight of a sentinel almost on top of her…

Its horrific tentacles which extended from its dark body gave the creature a strange almost octopus like look whilst its numerous red 'eyes' (for want of a better word) made it look quite spider like, it truly was the stuff of nightmares.

And it was after Trinity…

 ** _'Come on keep going!'_** Trinity cried to herself, forcing herself onwards away from the ferocious creature drawing up behind her.

Trinity knew however that whilst the Neb was a decent sized ship, it wasn't huge and at some point she was going to run out of places to run and then she would be in trouble…big trouble!

 **'Where is everyone?'** she screamed out loud, as much as she tried to remain calm to try and focus on a solution (which was what Morpheus had always taught her) Trinity could not deny the painful surge of fear working it's way through her mind.

She was alone…

Turning sharply down the port side corridor leading through the maintenance deck, Trinity heard the machine slam loudly into the wall before it could stop itself at the corner turn. Quickly dodging tools, crates and other pieces of engineering littered around the deck as she ran, she could feel the tentacles swiping at her legs attempting to knock her over, it was gaining on her!

Driving herself forward with everything she possibly had, she spotted the doorway at the end of the corridor, Trinity knew that after that door there was an engine room with very little space to manoeuvre but she had no other choice but to run through it, hoping the lack of space would slow the bigger machine down.

Holding her arms out in front of her Trinity quickly raised the latch on the door to unseal it and practically fell through the doorway with a yell…

Quickly regaining her balance before she fell over completely she prepared to run through…the…busy street?

 ** _'What the hell?'_** This wasn't the Neb…

Trinity stood stunned in the middle of what looked like the busy downtown district in the Matrix, in fact people were walking past her looking at her, pointing and whispering to their friends as if she was a crazy woman loose on the streets. An elderly lady stood on the sidewalk giving her an unimpressed glare before shaking her head, tutting and walking off down the street.

It appeared to be early evening; the sun hadn't quite set yet but the city was thankfully a little bit cooler now that it was nearing the end of the day. Folk were either rushing to get home after a busy day at work or off out in town to hit the bars and clubs.

Turning quickly to look in all directions, Trinity could see that yes she was definitely in the Matrix but how the hell she got here she had no idea!

Where was the Neb? Her crewmates? Was she plugged in or not? She couldn't be…she was on the Neb when the Sentinel…

 ** _'Oh shit!'_** Trinity panicked, where was the Sentinel?

The faint metallic whirring noise caught Trinity's attention and caused her to spin around in the other direction, finding the cause of the noise waiting on the other side of the street from her.

The Sentinel was there…in the Matrix!

 ** _'That's not possible!'_** Trinity stuttered anxiously as she nervously watched the machine wave it's tentacles around menacingly, the whole activity going completely unnoticed by the city dwellers walking on past it. It was obvious they could not see the horrific mechanical monster at all.

Turning quickly Trinity took off like a shot and began running away from the sentinel as fast as she could.

With no idea where to go or what to do she just kept on going, dodging pedestrians and cars as she weaved through the busy streets, she could still hear the metallic noise not too far behind her.

The only consolation with this whole scenario now was that at least she had more options to run to, more space to move than in the Neb.

Although what good that would do if she couldn't shake off this thing chasing her.

Maybe she could find somewhere to hide? No the machine was relentless and not far off her heels.

Or maybe find somewhere small she could crawl in to where the sentinel could not reach, like somewhere in a building maybe…but then the tentacles would drag her out and tear her apart.

Rapidly growing more and more tired and running out of options, a dark morbid thought crossed Trinity's mind as she quickly turned off down an alleyway.

 ** _'Why not just stop? Just stop and be done with it'_**

A huge overwhelming sadness rushed over Trinity as the feeling of defeat surged through her body. She knew she couldn't run forever and realistically she knew there was no way she could 'fight' the machine especially considering she was completely unarmed. Either she figured something out quickly or…

Tears had begun to form in her eyes.

She was absolutely exhausted now; the pain in her muscles, the fear coupled along with the initial surge of adrenaline fading away had left Trinity completely and utterly done.

The pace she had been keeping was quickly beginning to fade and as she slowed she knew the sentinel was right behind her. The stench of dirty fumes once again invaded her lungs as the tentacles began swiping at her legs once more.

 ** _'Ah!'_** Trinity cried out as one of the tentacles managed to hit its target and sliced a huge gash into the back of Trinity's thigh, she could feel the warm trickle of blood begin to ooze down her leg. She kept going.

This was it, she was going to die.

Her vision began to blur as a mixture of sweat and tears built up in her eyes, swiping at her face clumsily she looked on up to the next street ahead to see where else she had left to run.

Trinity felt a huge spike of adrenaline once again surge through her as she clapped eyes on the familiar black Audi parked on the street up ahead!

 ** _'Oh my god!'_** She couldn't believe it…

The Agents! They were in the car not that far up the street from her!

If she could only keep going, if she could make it to them then they would help her! After all the time she had spent with them recently and all the trust that had been gained on both sides she just knew they would save her from the sentinel.

Feeling her spirits boosted by the possibility of a chance at survival, Trinity gave it her everything and pushed her arms and legs harder and faster than she thought was even capable of, taking off in the direction of the Agent's car.

 ** _'Hey! Help…please!'_** She waved her arms and shouted as loud as she possibly could whilst maintaining her speed, the machine had fallen back a bit and did not seem to be as close behind her as it had been minutes ago.

As she ran, Trinity could see the three agents getting out of the car and walked out into the middle of the street turning to face her, she had never been so happy to see them! She was going to be ok.

Something odd had occurred to Trinity as she watched the agents.

First off she had noticed the complete lack of noise from behind her which made her turn to look over her shoulder to quickly gauge how close the sentinel was to her.

Only to find it was gone…

 ** _'What the…?'_**

A huge rush of confusion flooded her, what was going on? There was no way she had managed to shake off the machine, it had been on her tail from the moment she had left the Neb. Her head was beginning to spin.

Secondly when she turned around to look toward the agents, she felt an uneasiness come over her.

Something was not right. Not right at all.

Slowing down to a slow walk she stopped several yards away from the three agents watching her, breathing hard she could only look on apprehensively as the three men exchanged looks with each other.

Smith stood in the middle silently observing the exhausted woman whilst his colleagues turned to him.

 ** _'A rebel'_** Agent Brown stated in an old monotone voice, which startled Trinity, as she hadn't heard it in such a long time.

 ** _'Yes, appears to be alone, no other rebel activity has been logged recently'_** Jones remarked in an equally monotone voice.

Trinity could do nothing, she just froze; she was afraid to run but also afraid of what they would do.

She watched as Agent Smith left his colleagues and began walking slowly towards her, Trinity's heart thudded in her chest as she watched him step closer and closer.

Finally he stopped just a small step in front of her as he looked down at her, his shades guarding his eyes.

 ** _'Please...I don't know what's going on…I…I was being chased by that thing and I…'_** the exhausted woman stuttered out quickly, watching the agent carefully for his reaction.

The agent just remained emotionless in front of her; she wasn't sure why he wasn't talking to her.

 ** _'Smith please, help me'_** she pleaded with him as she raised her arms to reach out for him.

The agent finally spoke in a similar monotone yet menacing voice…

 ** _'You don't belong here rebel'_**

Trinity watched in horror as Smith slowly reached into his jacket and pulled out his gun and pointed it at her head.

Tears slowly tumbled down Trinity's cheeks as her biggest fear came to life.

The glitch must have been fixed…which meant the agent in front of her was once again…her enemy.

Their conversations forgotten about, the trust they had gained was now gone.

 ** _'Goodbye'_**

 ** _'Smith please…'_**

BANG!

* * *

Trinity shot up into a sitting position with a gasp…

Breathing heavily and covered in a sheen of sweat, she sat there feeling confused and slowly allowed her eyes to adjust to her surroundings, her brain still felt foggy from being awoken so abruptly.

Looking around she recognised the familiar layout of her cabin on-board the Neb, she was safely in her bunk with her bed sheets wrapped around her legs.

Slowing her breathing down to a more calm level, Trinity raised her hand to push the hair from her eyes; she could feel the wetness of tears still lingering on her cheeks.

She lay down and allowed her mind to process what had just happened.

 ** _'It was just a nightmare, it was just a nightmare'_** she repeated the mantra to her still anxiously racing heart.

Laying herself down shakily in her bed now fully wide awake, Trinity analysed her entire nightmare and realised that the bit that had scared her the most wasn't being chased by the sentinel…

It was the bit where Smith and the other agents had reverted back to their 'normal' selves and Smith shot her.

Trinity could not get the image of Smith standing in front of her with his gun pointed at her out of her mind.

It terrified her.

 ** _'Jesus that could actually happen'_** she muttered into the darkness.

The realisation of just how dangerous her mission to befriend the agents was, now felt more real.


	11. Where is my mind

**Many thanks for the reviews!**

Shadow3692 and Elven Star Angel, you are too kind!

This fic initially started out as a short/continuous one shot type of fic using songs taken from my library as inspiration for each one shot chapter.

In some of my previous fics i have done on this site i have always struggled with maintaining the drive and passion to carry a fic on any further than a few chapters, however with this one i have found that the music has helped spur on my motivation and ideas to the point where i am now ahead of myself and sitting on several chapters for the future. Every song i listen to helps me to create an idea of where i would like our two favourite characters to go and how they would realistically act in each scenario.

Plus i just really like listening to music as i write!

* * *

 **Where is my mind - Yoav & Emily Browning **

Dropping herself down unceremoniously into one of the seats dotted around the table, Trinity casually glanced around the table at her sleepy looking crewmates who were already tucking in to their breakfasts…well attempting to anyway, considering the food was not at all appetising! The silly look Mouse gave his bowl made Trinity smile softly at his youth and immaturity.

Trinity gingerly picked her spoon up and slowly began shovelling little bites into her mouth, looking up slightly as she watched Morpheus enter the canteen.

 ** _'Morning folks'_** came the sound of their captain's smooth baritone voice.

A few of the crew looked up as they muttered back in response to his greeting.

 ** _'Mouse I need you to get that mark 3 simulator back up and running again, I've got a few adjustments I think would be worth looking into'_** Morpheus addressed the youngest hacker and member of his crew.

 ** _'Sure thing boss, is it those data link strategies you were on about before?'_** Mouse responded.

Morpheus nodded his head whilst he gracefully sat down to eat with the rest of his crew.

After a few minutes of quiet chatting amongst the group, Morpheus glanced over to Trinity.

 ** _'Trinity will you be heading into the Matrix today?'_**

The sudden question made Trinity's heart race a little, after the nightmare she'd had the previous evening she had intended to wait a few days before going back into the Matrix. She was ashamed to admit that the nightmare had upset her more than it should have; she was a grown woman for god sake it was just a bad dream, nothing else.

 ** _'Er I was thinking of just hitting the training sims today'_** Trinity tried to sound as casual as she could, she hoped no one picked up on the nerves in her voice.

Trinity had noticed Neo sat off to the side watching her exchange with Morpheus; he kept glancing at her every so often. It unnerved her a little.

 ** _'Sounds good, always a good idea to keep battle ready should the time come. Speaking of which have you heard anything else regarding this glitch? Any news on if it is being corrected?'_** questioned Morpheus again.

 ** _'No news as of yet, we still appear to have free reign of the matrix'_** answered Trinity.

 ** _'No problems with any of the agents?'_**

Trinity shook her head **_'nope, none whatsoever everything remains calm with them'._**

Neo couldn't help but speak out now butting into the conversation, catching everyone's attention.

 ** _'See this is what I don't get, the agents aren't attacking us so why don't we go into the matrix and finish them off?'_**

The whole of the crew had stopped eating at Neo's outburst and turned to look discreetly at Morpheus, they knew the proud captain disliked being constantly questioned, especially by the man he believed to be 'the one'.

Morpheus turned to face Neo whilst letting out a short sigh, he had always had high hopes for Neo but recently the younger man's outbursts and tactical short sightedness had begun to wear on Morpheus. Not to mention the egotistical behaviour he had begun to exhibit.

 ** _'The reason we're not doing that is because it would do no good.'_** Morpheus stated before holding his hand up to silence Neo as he went to speak up again.

 ** _'Hang on Neo let me explain. First off just because the agents aren't outright attacking us on sight doesn't mean they wont defend themselves if provoked. Secondly the agents skills haven't changed or diminished at all; one is still nigh on impossible to take down never mind all three at once and lastly…what do you think will happen if we even somehow manage to take out all three?'_**

Morpheus paused to let Neo answer.

Neo just shook his head in frustrated confusion.

 ** _'The matrix must always be policed by agents, it's a part of their programming, and so if we were to somehow miraculously take those three agents out another three will just re-spawn in their place'_**

Neo just shook his head, his captain's explanation bringing more questions to mind.

 ** _'So what is the point in Trinity wasting her time in the matrix…no offence Trin…'_** Neo quickly turned to her.

Trinity was seething as Neo quickly addressed her as if she was just an after thought.

 ** _'I mean why spend all that time gathering intel on the agents if we can't use it? Just seems like a waste of resources'_** Neo finished, trying to get Morpheus to see reason.

Morpheus opened his mouth to respond but was cut short by Trinity interjecting,

 ** _'The whole point of me gathering this intel is so that if this glitch is fixed…and it no doubt will at some point…we will have the knowledge required to be able to at least move around the matrix without drawing the attention of the agents and if we do need to go up against them then we will be able to defend ourselves'_** Trinity answered Neo angrily, she hated the thought of her recent and on-going mission as 'a waste of resources'. Everything she was doing was for the good of the whole damn crew; she was trying to help save their asses for Christ sake!

Knowing that any further argument would be met with disagreement, Neo knew he couldn't argue his point anymore, he just nodded his head slightly and turned back to his half eaten breakfast.

Trinity was still watching him and breathing hard when she felt a hand softly cover hers on the table, she glanced around to see Morpheus shake his head with a smirk as his hand gently tapped hers before retreating back to his food.

* * *

Several hours later found Trinity reloading another scenario into the training simulator, the incident at breakfast had been playing on her mind and she had needed to de-stress in one of Mouse's fight sims.

Stretching her muscles off gently, she begun with her arms, then her back, chest and hips, feeling her back pop slightly from too much exertion, before finishing off at her thighs and calves. Slowly sitting down on the training mats to relax, drink some water and relax her mind with some final meditation.

Unfortunately the silence was short lived as she heard the hatch door sliding open and the accompanying footfall entered the training area. She had a feeling she knew who this was.

 ** _'Trinity can we talk a moment?'_** Came Neo's voice from just across the room.

 ** _'Well I don't know, wont it be a waste of time?'_** Trinity knew her response was childish and rude but to be quite honest after dealing with the aftermath of her nightmare and Neo's insult at breakfast, she wasn't in any mood to deal with arguments right now.

Neo slowly walked over towards where Trinity was sat resting by the far wall, his whole demeanour appeared deflated. _Maybe he wasn't in the mood for a fight either_ pondered Trinity.

Drawing a deep breath Neo stopped in front of her ' ** _I'm sorry for what I said in the canteen, I didn't mean for it to come out like that'_**

Trinity just blinked and waited a few seconds…

' ** _But you still believe my missions into the Matrix are a waste of time?'_**

 ** _'No I didn't say that, I just meant that we could be doing something more than what we are doing now. You're gathering all this information on the agents and it's great but I just feel we are all sitting around on our asses doing nothing when we could be using this intel for something…anything!'_**

Trinity had remained seated on the mats with her back resting against the wall as she watched Neo pace slowly back and forth trying to put his thoughts to words.

 ** _'Neo we are doing something, we're carrying on our mission as we always have. Just because we're not in the matrix fighting agents doesn't mean we're not achieving things. Mouse has been able to repair and improve some of the graphical user interfaces that got damaged ages ago and Tank has been running some new security processes he's been needing to do for some time. '_**

Neo had stopped pacing and turned to face Trinity again.

 ** _'But what are we achieving right now? It just feels like ever since the glitch happened we've all took our foot off the gas, we've slowed down, look I appreciate time off for recuperation and training and all the other stuff we can't do when we're focussed…but we need to get back to work'_**

 ** _'We are Neo, please understand that we are all doing everything we can…yes you're right we have slowed down, we're not working as intensely as we have in the past, the glitch has allowed us to slow down and relax a bit, everyone is exhausted Neo remember we've all been doing this for several years before you arrived, the crew need some time to catch up on work as well as downtime.'_** Trinity tried to explain calmly.

 ** _'That's the problem Trinity, this glitch…it's been more of a curse than a blessing, I understand everyone needs to recuperate but it's like we're all treating it as some sort of holiday, hell Morpheus hasn't been in the matrix for days and the rest of the crew…yes they are catching up on stuff but sometimes it's like they're just wandering about dropping in and out of the matrix for fun with no real purpose. We should be using this quiet period to plan our next steps, prepare ourselves for when the glitch is fixed.'_**

Trinity just stared at Neo, her eyes almost looking right through him. **_'I don't know what to say to you Neo, we are still doing what we need to for our mission but yes you are right we have eased off the intensity but Morpheus is fine with that and…well I trust him so I think you should too.'_**

The two of them just stared at the other, Trinity hoped that would be the end of the matter, she just wanted to go shower and do some light reading for the rest of the morning. Getting up slowly she gathered her water bottle and sweat towel before tiredly walking in the direction of the door.

As she passed Neo she felt his hand quickly grasp her hand gently in his.

 ** _'Trinity, please I didn't mean to upset you, that was not my intention. I'm just frustrated with the lack of progress lately, forgive me.'_**

Not really an apology Trinity mused but she accepted none the less, she was done with arguing today. Nodding briefly to Neo she gently pulled her hand from his and made her way towards the exit to her rooms, the sound of the door clanking shut echoed around the room.

Neo remained standing in the training sim long after Trinity had left, this was not how he had planned that conversation to go down. He placed his left hand on his hip as his right ran over his close-cropped hair.

 ** _'Damn it!'_**


	12. Flower

**Flower – Moby**

 **Author note** – So I have had this song on my iPod for quite a few years now and I absolutely love it however after doing some research I have only just within the last week of writing this fic realised the history behind the song and that the lyrics are different to what I thought they were. So ' _ **Bring**_ Sally up…' which is what I've always sung is actually _**'Green**_ Sally up…' After doing a bit of research into the song I found out that the vocal hook was from a sample found on a compilation of African American folksongs and instead of _**'Lift and squat,**_ gotta tear the ground'the words are actually ' _ **Last one squat,**_ gotta tear the ground'. So I'm guessing the alternative lyrics (which you see wrote all over the internet) are more suited to the actual fitness challenge which folk use this song for. So after a bit of debating about which lyrics to use I decided to just go with the lyrics used in the actual push up challenge (if you are not sure what I am on about YouTube has lots of videos showing folk attempting this challenge).

Normally I would be keen to use the lyrics the artists used in the actual song, however since this fic is centred around the fitness challenge I thought it wouldn't really matter so much this time so just used the alternative lyrics. Respect to any of you reading this that can complete the challenge coz I sure as hell can't!

* * *

After a week and a half of avoiding going into the Matrix, Trinity knew she couldn't avoid it forever so she decided that the only way she would be able to get over her nightmare would be to face her demons head on. She had made several excuses to Morpheus and the other members of the crew as to why she couldn't accompany them on their various excursions around the Matrix. The first few days they accepted her reasons easily and just assumed that as she had been spending so much time plugged in recently, she just wanted a little break, which was completely understandable really. However after a week, folk began asking questions and getting just a little too curious for Trinity's comfort. She had noticed Morpheus himself paying particular close attention to her whenever someone asked her about plugging in again; it was like he had started to notice her reluctance to return to the Matrix, she had to do something or else she would have to explain her reasons to him. That was something she didn't want to have to do. Having a nightmare about the agents, machines or just about anything matrix related wasn't a strange thing really, pretty much everyone on the crew had experienced those dreams but she knew Morpheus would get over protective and most likely restrict her time in the Matrix, which wasn't what she needed or wanted. She wanted to return but she wanted to wait till she was ready.

Trinity walked slowly through the darkened ship towards the training simulator; she used this method to access the matrix through the programme's back door way, it allowed her to roam the matrix without being monitored by Tank or the others plus it meant she could spend as long as she wanted plugged in and the spare chair in Tank's operator area was available for someone else on the crew to access the matrix should they so need it.

Plugging back in again, Trinity felt the nerves shoot through her once again. She had decided to be cautious and observe the agents first before approaching them.

Once Trinity emerged into the matrix the first thing she noticed was just how bright it was! It was obviously a bright sunny summers day today in the matrix…and damn was it warm!

' _ **Jesus I was not ready for this sun!'**_ she mumbled softly to herself as she felt the intense heat beat down on her before removing her jacket, placing her sunglasses over her eyes and walking off down the street in search of the Agents.

It hadn't taken _**too**_ long to find them, roughly an hour maybe? Which considering the size of the city was actually pretty good, especially as she had been enjoying herself just strolling casually through the streets enjoying the fresh air, the sights of the people all around her and the general _**'normalness'**_ of the city. Every so often she liked to just pretend that she was just like any other normal woman leading a normal life walking around the city, she felt silly sometimes, having to pretend like a child but sometimes her mind would just wander.

Upon reaching the noisy beachside area of the city, she spotted the dark car she had been looking for parked over by the parking lot next to the beach entrance. The beach was absolutely packed with people today out enjoying the sunshine and the surf, so she supposed it was no surprise that the agents would be here keeping an eye on things.

Taking a hidden position in the shadows of an alley next to the building across the street from the parking lot, Trinity observed the car first to make sure it was safe for her to approach them, she knew that if she could just observe their mannerisms for a bit first then she would be able to tell if they were the same as before she left the matrix last time or if they were back to being rigid, machine like programs.

The sight that greeted her however reassured her that the glitch had definitely not been fixed and the three agents weren't acting like the terrifying sentient programs they were before. It would seem her nightmare had caused her some pretty unnecessary paranoia and she considered that maybe she should try trusting her instincts more before letting a bad dream affect her behaviour.

Taking a deep breath and gathering her courage, Trinity began slowly walking towards the car before stopping to lean back against the side with her arms crossed over her chest.

' _ **So…what exactly are they doing?'**_ Trinity asked the agent next to her with somewhat confused amusement.

Smith continued to lean against the side of the car casually as he watched his two colleagues on the street in front of him. Trinity had arrived a few moments ago, strolling up to them slowly, leant against the car next to him and after a few seconds of just staring at the strange sight on the ground in utter bewilderment finally asked Smith the burning question.

' _ **Ever heard of the ''Bring Sally up challenge?''**_ Smith replied whilst he continued to observe his two fellow agents.

Trinity wracked her brain trying to think if she had ever heard of such a thing before turning to look at him with a blank look that quite clearly said _'No'._

It was a warm day in the city, Agents Jones and Brown couldn't have picked a worse day to do this challenge if they tried.

Clearing his throat slightly Smith began explaining to the young woman.

' _ **Apparently they heard about this challenge online and have been going on about it all morning, both of them saying they could outdo the other. Well after a few hours I got fed up of listening to the two of them arguing and…well here we are'**_

Trinity had to ask _ **'So what exactly does this challenge involve?'**_

Shifting slightly to get more comfortable against the car, Smith slowly pulled his earpiece out and held it out as far as the wire would allow and turned to Trinity, indicating that she should move her head closer to listen in on his radio.

Intrigued, Trinity slowly brought her head closer to his to listen in.

' _ **Can you hear the music playing?'**_ Smith's low voice asked, his soft breaths ghosting over her cheek.

Trinity could make out a song playing over the radio…

' _Bring Sally up and bring Sally down_

 _Last one squat gotta tear the ground,_

 _Bring Sally up and bring Sally down_

 _Last one squat gotta tear the ground'_

As she listened to the song play she watched as the two agents on the ground in front of her react in time to the music.

' _ **So wait every time the singers sing 'up' they have to do a push up? So are they both listening to the song through their radios too?'**_ Trinity asked Smith.

Nodding his head slightly Smith replied _**'That's right and they have to do it in time with the music'**_

Trinity turned to look at the two now very sweaty agents attempting to complete this crazy challenge.

' _ **How long have they got to do this for?'**_

' _ **The whole song'**_

'… _ **And they have to hold that plank position the whole time? They can't rest on the ground in between push ups?'**_

' _ **Nope'**_

' _ **How long have they got left?'**_

Smith pulled the sleeve of his jacket back to look down at his watch.

' _ **Well the song is three minutes thirty seconds long so…about another two minutes left'**_

Both Smith and Trinity quickly turned to look at the ground when they heard a collective groan come from the two very tired looking agents who were mid push up.

Trinity couldn't help but smirk and shake her head at Brown and Jones, it seemed the two junior agents had developed a little bit of competitiveness with each other.

Smith slowly backed away from her and relaxed back against the car, folding his arms like Trinity, he kept his earpiece out resting against his shoulder so he could speak with her but still hear when the song finished.

' _ **So why aren't you taking part then?'**_ Trinity teased the senior agent. She had intended to remain cautious and vigilant during her time in the matrix, especially around the agents, but after spending only a short amount of time with them so far she could tell they wouldn't hurt her. She felt relaxed enough as her nerves had died away quite quickly, their human-like silliness at wanting to do this frat boy/tough guy challenge showed her they were not the merciless killing machines from the past or her nightmare (at least for the time being anyway!). So she continued to laugh at the two hapless men in front of her.

Unbeknownst to Trinity, whilst Smith had been observing his colleagues he had also been cautiously watching her from behind his shades covertly. Trinity turned to him again.

' _ **I mean you're not scared of getting beat are you?'**_ Trinity knew she was pushing her luck with teasing the proud agent like this, but an almost crazy part of her wanted to see just how far she could push him, before he inevitable pushed back. The thought of playing this dangerous game with him actually thrilled her a little…

Smith knew the rebel was just teasing to get a reaction out of him, he didn't mind to be honest, he actually quite enjoyed their verbal sparring matches. Plus he knew she was still very wary of him deep down so would never really over step the mark, she also seemed to have a healthy respect for the agent just like he had for her.

' _ **I don't need to prove anything…I know I'm good'**_ He replied back with a sly smirk.

Trinity just shook her head as she chuckled softly,

' _ **Wow your ego is unreal'**_ she laughed out softly as Smith turned back to watch Brown and Jones.

Both of the agents on the ground appeared to be regretting their decision right now, the sun was beating down on them forcing the sweat to drip from their faces, the pavement was blisteringly hot which made the challenge even harder and to top it off they had been so gung-ho about getting the challenge started that they never thought about taking off their jackets or gun holsters so the added weight was not helping at all. Jones looked like he was close to giving up, Smith knew he wouldn't though; Jones was actually quite stubborn when he wanted to be.

' _ **A minute and thirty seconds left gentlemen'**_ Smith announced, both agents just groaned in unison.

Trinity continued to watch the hapless two, she wondered if she would be able to get the Neb crew to give it a go for fun…probably not! She hadn't noticed Smith eyeing her cautiously.

' _ **So we haven't seen you for a while, everything…ok in the real world?'**_

Trinity tensed up suddenly at Smith's unexpected question, she honestly didn't think he would have noticed her absence…or even cared.

What should she do? Lie and tell him she had just been busy with other business in the real world?

Or maybe even tell the truth that she'd had nightmares involving him and she hadn't been able to face the matrix until today…

Yeah that would go down well!

Smith, for all his faults could read Trinity quite well…a little _too_ well really, because now he could see that whilst she looked cool, calm and collected on the outside her eyes betrayed her and displayed the inner turmoil his question posed.

He awaited her answer like he always did, never pushing too much or too far. The faint sounds of the music continued to play through his earpiece. Jones looked like he was struggling now.

' _ **I've just been busy with a few things really'**_ she muttered quietly trying to sound convincingly casual.

Smith knew she wasn't exactly lying but she was also not being completely upfront about it either. Not that there was anything he could do about it since she didn't appear to want to discuss it in detail, so he just left it at that.

The pair of them just stood leaning against the car in silence for a few moments before Trinity casually piped up,

' _ **So what does the winner get then?'**_ she hoped the innocent question would lighten the mood and lead them away from thee recent topic of conversation.

' _ **Well there is the inevitable bragging rights that go with it plus…loser buys the ice cream'**_

Trinity spun around to face him now,

' _ **Wait, what? No one mentioned ice cream, I want in on this! I didn't even know you guys liked ice cream'**_

Smith just nodded his head seriously with a raised eyebrow, _**'of course…who doesn't like ice cream?'**_ he asked almost disbelievingly.

Trinity couldn't help but laugh out loud at the whole ridiculous situation, there was no way she could ever imagine the sight of the three most dangerous beings within the matrix…arguing over who buys the ice cream. Even if the glitch did get fixed she would probably never be able to take any of them seriously now.

' _ **SMITH! HOW LONG IS LEFT?'**_

The sound of Agents Brown and Jones calling out in what sounded like agony startled both Smith and Trinity.

Smith quickly checked his watch again,

' _ **Just under a minute left'**_

Trinity continued to watch as the two agents neared the end of the song and the challenge, Brown looked like he would make it but Jones looked ready to throw the towel in.

She turned to Smith again,

' _ **So what's the plan for the rest of the day? Anymore challenges planned?'**_

Shaking his head slightly,

' _ **Nope no more challenges; I don't think these two would be much use to anyone after this, speaking of which…twenty seconds gents. There doesn't seem to be much happening anyway, I think the sun has gotten to everyone today'**_

They both watched as Jones finally conceded defeat and collapsed with a groan on the sidewalk.

Trinity turned to the agent next to her,

' _ **You gonna help him?'**_

Smith, remained leant against the car with his arms crossed, slowly shook his head and replied _**'Nope'.**_

He replaced his earpiece and recognised the end of the song was near, checking his watch again he watched as Brown managed to keep going long after Jones had given up…he knew Jones was never going to hear the end of this.

' _ **So you fancy joining us for celebratory…or in Jones' case commiseration ice cream?'**_ Smith asked as he finally checked his watch for the final countdown.

' _ **I thought you'd never ask'**_

' _ **Five…'**_ Agent Brown continued to push through the pain in his shoulders and arms as Smith counted down the last few seconds of the challenge. _**'Four…'**_ He had no idea where the competitiveness had come from with regard to him and Jones but whatever force _**'Three…'**_ had been affecting Smith recently had obviously affected them also, all three of them were changing and they couldn't explain how or why.

' _ **Two…'**_ And that was another thing, why did he and his tired colleague now find themselves covered in sweat, with sore muscles and attempting these strange human trials? They had never interested him before…it was like they were gaining human qualities.

' _ **One…times up Brown you won'**_ Smiths voice finally called a halt to the challenge.

As the two junior agents shook hands, Smith couldn't stop the thought entering his mind that his two agents were changing just like him, he watched as they both slowly made their way into the car collapsing in exhaustion on the back seat.

He turned to get into the car and into the driver seat as Trinity joined him up front,

' _ **So ice cream?'**_ Trinity queried the senior agent with a smirk.

' _ **Ice cream'**_

Turning on the ignition, the car sped off down the boulevard into the city.


End file.
